Should you give away your years of training and considerable expertise for free? Does providing such services at no cost encourage the school boards and the ministry to properly fund education or does it send a different message? Only you can decide whether volunteering is right for you. You should be aware however, that whether you volunteer in a school or in your community, such activities are outside ETFO's mandate to protect it's members. Accordingly, any legal issues that might arise would be your own responsibility.
For that reason, ETFO frequently warns its members about volunteering for activities which are not connected to teaching assignments, and which involve potential legal risks. These activities may include coaching a sports team in the community, home instruction, driving families or students to social or sporting events on weekends or after school, camping activities with students or community members, or other similar activities. All these activities involve the teacher as a community member in his or her individual capacity, not as an ETFO member performing the daily work of teaching.
Yes, it can be difficult establishing yourself as a new Occasional Teacher. Marketing yourself through word of mouth, handing out business cards, talking to principals, secretaries, and permanent Teachers, as well as doing the best possible job in you occasional teaching is essential.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT EVENTS
November is a very busy PD month with the following events:
- SMART Board Workshops held at Wilfrid Jury Public School, 950 Lawson Road in London. Tuesday, November 15th 4:30 - 7:30 PM Light Dinner and Drinks provided. Twelve workshops focusing on various interests and skill levels are being offered. We ask that you select 3 - we will try to accommodate your first choice where possible. Please visit http://www.etfotvots.com/ to view descriptions of the 12 workshops being offered so you can make your selections.
- Boutique Style PD on Tuesday, November 22, 2011. Your Local is proud to host a series of after school workshops limited to 15 participants per session. Workshops are held at our OT Offices, 521 Nottinghill Road, Suite 8 in London and a light supper will be provided. The Daily Five Boutique: Fostering Literacy Independence in the Elementary Grades. An Introduction and Overview - Keeping abreast of current teaching practices is important for all Occasional Teachers. This crash course for the uninitiated will introduce members to the 'Daily Five' approach to creating independent literacy learners in the classroom.
